Theebnce bqutte



@with ftstrs atrnt @frn Letters Patent No. 76,392, dated April 7, 1868.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EVAPRATING GANE-JUICE.

dige tlptult rentra tu it lpsc'btttts uinrtzmt 'iimtingpnrt nt ille 5mm.

To ALL WHoM'Ir MAY, conc/Eau:

Be it known that I, THRENGE BOUTT, 'of New Iberia, in the parish of St.Martin., and State of Louisiana, have 'invented a certain new, useful,and improved Furnace forthe Eva-porationof Cane-Juice, and mode ofsetting sugar-hotties vthereon-tand I do herebyzdeclar'e the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the annexed drawings, making a part`of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional vie'wf and i Figui-e 2 across-section through th'o line a: :c of fig. 1. p

My invention has for flits object to reduce the consumption of fuelin,theoperation of making sugar, and at ,l the same time to bring abouta more rapid heating and evaporation of the cane-juicein the process ofits reduction to sirup than has heretofore been effected, or than can beeffected with any existing arrangement; and it consists of aconsolidated metallic furnace and 11de of novel construction andarrangement, conjoined with a. -new method of setting the sugar-kettlesin the furnace, the whole constituting a portable apparatus which may bereadily transported from plantation to plantation, if it should `befound desirable to, use it upon more than one. All existing arrangementsare immovable, and hence the vsamekettles can only be used in theevapora-f tion of the `iuice that has been expressed from the'cane grownou theplantation ou which the furnace with which said kettlesareconnected islocated, which, it may be mentioned, is one among otherreasons why men -of small `means cannot engage in the culture of sugar.y I

But my invention will be better understood by referring to the drawings,on which the same letters denote the same parts in both gures.

A is lthe furnace proper, which is constructed entirely out of metahandof cylindrical form. It may be made of sheet iron, and hence a sectionof un old and (for its original uses) worthless steam-boiler will answerfor it, so that it can belnade at ivery small cost. Near the front end,which is closed either by'a xed or removable head, B, a series oftransverse openings or narrow slots, a, is cut through Ithe bottom ofthe furnace A, to establish a grateon which to build the/fire. Upon oneside of the furnace, and `just opposite the grate, is a hinged door, C,through which the fuel is thrown into the furnace. Through/the top ofthe furnace Alarge openings are made to receive the kettles D, which areinserted into them, as shown at both the gures. These openings conformto the form or shape'ofv the lrettles, in 'order that a tight jointmay'be made at the point of contact of the latter with the edges of theformer. i On top of the furnace A, andl covering something more thanone-third ofthe circumference of the same, is placed 4the return-flue E.This flue is divided by the kettles into' two`couduits, F, at all pointsthat lare opposite to them, but yet it is practically but a single Hueat every pointjbetween the kc'ttles, in consequence of the open spacesG, sothat it will be perceived a complete envelop 'ment of every kettleby the ame is insured in the {iue E, as well as inthe furnace properbelow. The open space H connects the furnace A with the flue E at the.rear ends of both, th said space being covered by the arched apron J, asshown at fig. l. vThe flue E is curved at its sides, as shown at tig. 2,but it is fiat uponits top, whereit is perforated with as many aperturesas there arekettles inthe collection or system, that arejust largeenough to permit the kettles togo 4down into them until the flanchesthat project around their tops rest upon the upper surface ofthe Hue E,as shown at both figures. It will of course be understood that thecentres of the apertures iu the top ofv the'ue E are exactly overtherentres of' the apertures 'in' the top of the furnace A, forotherwise no perfect .adjustment of the kettles in these apertures4could be effected. The drawings exhibit four kcttles in connection withthe apparatus, but a greaterfor smaller `number mayvobvio/usly be used.A metallic smoke-stack or chimney, L, is connected withv the Hue at thefront end of' thevfurnacc, whichmay be provided with a damper if thesame shall he found to b e necessary, or a damper may be: placed in theflue or furnace. On the bottom ofthe furnace A, one atfeach end of it,are attached two legs or supports, K, upon which the apparatus stands,so that there is always some space between the said bottom and theground or foundation'on'gwhich the furnace is placed. To prevent loss ofheat from radiation, any proper envelopment of the furnace may beadopted. A teml L por-ary structure of bricks and mortar willanswcrevery purpose, and,as I have demonstrated by actualpractice, it may beput up in a few hours and at very -slight cost. I have found, infactthat a sufficient covering may bc made with three thousand bricks,whcreasmo other existing sugarskettle furnace can. be constructedapparatus, as and for the purpose set forth.

tassa 0 with less than from twenty to thirty thousand. The kettles usedin connection with my furnace-arrangement mayall be oi' the same size,or they may be graduated from the largest to the smallest size, as'shown (upon a reduced scale) on the drawings, which, in my opinion, isthe very best arrangement; or they may vary in size in any way to suitthe fancy of the builder, or he whollas it buil- So also the'kettles maybe of any formround, square, hexagonal, or otherwise. I reserve theright to use any form or description of kettle that is in .common use. y

The operation of inyinvention is so obvious that no particulardescription thereof need be given. It will be suicieut to say that thejuice 'is put into the kettles and-fireinto the furnace, and that by theaction of the latter the juice is evaporated orreduced to sirup, and'made ready to he transferred to the'inishing-pans in halfgthe time, andwith a. consumption oi ,half the fuel that is required in the bestexisting evaporation-furnace of which I have any knowledge. y'This Ihave demonstrated by repeated trials.

The economy of timeand fuel'involved in the use of my invention isnotthe only` merit or virtue to which it can lay claim. It is portable, andhence 'after it has performed its work in any given locality, by simplyputting it on truck or other wheels, it may be I easily transferred toanother, and -then to another, and so on indefinitely, and so do thework of several sugar-planters, who, not able separately to own anapparatus, may jointly readilydo so.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim, and desire t9 secure hyLetters `Patent, isA

The furnace A and ilue E, when theseparts are severallyconstrncted,united, and operate as herein described, in combination withthe" kettles D, when the whole constitutes al portable cane-juiceevaporating- ',THRENGE BoUTr.

` Witnesses:

HRO, Jr., G. GENAS.v

